President Donald Trump said Friday that Hamas had signaled readiness to release all Israeli hostages under his administration's Gaza peace proposal, marking the first public indication that the militant group might engage with a U.S.-brokered deal to halt the war.
Trump, who earlier in the week threatened to unleash "all HELL, like no one has ever seen before" if Hamas rejected his plan, shifted tone after receiving Hamas' response through mediators. "Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE," Trump wrote on Truth Social. He added that Israel should "immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly."
Hamas said it accepted major provisions of the 20-point plan Trump unveiled Monday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including the release of hostages in exchange for Israeli troop withdrawal and a full ceasefire. The group stressed it was prepared to "enter immediately, through the mediators, into negotiations to discuss the details."
"The priority is to stop the war and massacres, and from this perspective, we responded positively to the Trump plan," Hamas leader Musa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera. He confirmed that Hamas agreed to release hostages "alive and deceased, according to the exchange ratio set out in Trump's plan," but cautioned that handing over all remains within 72 hours was "theoretical and unrealistic."
The proposal calls for Hamas to release 20 living hostages and the remains of 28 deceased in return for the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 others detained since the October 7, 2023, attacks. Hamas said it would require more time to locate the bodies of some captives.
Netanyahu, who publicly endorsed the Trump plan earlier this week, was caught off guard by the president's demand to halt Israeli strikes, an Israeli official told Axios. In internal consultations, Netanyahu described Hamas' response as a rejection, though Israeli negotiators handling the hostage file saw it as an opening to a potential deal. "This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done," Netanyahu said Monday at the White House.
Regional powers moved quickly to seize on the momentum. Qatar and Egypt welcomed Hamas' statement and said they were preparing to host technical talks in the coming days. A European diplomat closely engaged in the process said the urgency was clear: "Get the hostages home. Worry about the details next."
For Trump, who has long sought a signature foreign policy achievement that could bolster his pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize, the development is a milestone. "This is a big day," Trump said in a video message Friday night. "We'll see how it all turns out. We have to get the final word down in concrete."
Hostage families voiced cautious optimism. Ruby Chen, whose son is among those held, told NBC News: "It's a positive - we have cautious optimism. We know the president cares a lot about the hostages, so let's hope this is our time."
Skeptics warned against assuming Hamas will fully comply. "I'd be a bit more cautious given that Hamas is a terrorist organization with a track record of saying one thing and doing another," said Brian Katulis of the Middle East Institute. Still, lawmakers across party lines acknowledged the development as potentially significant. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) said, "I'm hoping this news means imminent return of the hostages and action addressing the Gaza humanitarian crisis."
